Pehlu Khan Lynching: All Six Accused Acquitted By Rajasthan Court

A Rajasthan court on Wednesday acquitted all six accused in the Pehlu Khan lynching case. Additional Public Prosecutor Yogendra Khatana was quoted as saying by PTI that the court gave the accused ‘benefit of doubt’.

Khan, a 55-year-old dairy farmer, was lynched by cow vigilantes in April 2017.

Khan and his two sons, Irshad and Arif, were returning from a cattle fair in Jaipur to their home in Haryana when they were stopped. A video of the incident showed Khan being beaten and kicked. He died in hospital two days later. 

The case trial concluded on 7 August 2019, News18 reports, and Khan’s sons were among the over 40 witnesses who deposed.

The accused were charged under sections 147, 323, 341, 302, 308, 379 and 427 of the IPC. Two minor are being tried separately at a juvenile court, News18 says.

In June 2019, Khan and his two sons were chargesheeted for allegedly transporting cattle without permission, NDTV reported. However, Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot rejected news reports on this.